


Time for Change

by QueenEgg



Series: Kingdom Eternal [2]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: /loud shrugging from author in regards to canon/, Gen, Hornet talks a bit about herself for once, Hornet tries to be a good big sister, and actually kind of succeeds for once!, i swear there's actual sibling bonding in this one trust me, somewhat vague mentions of past limb loss, vessel growth headcanons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-13 23:08:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13580871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenEgg/pseuds/QueenEgg
Summary: or, Small Ghost becomes Tall Ghost with one annoying and repetitive step.





	Time for Change

**Author's Note:**

> another alt title for this fic could also be _"PK didn't prepare us for vessel puberty but at this point we literally can't ask him so we're winging it"_

It wasn’t often that Ghost sought Hornet out for any reason. If they weren’t somewhere in the spire or at her side, then they were likely spending time alone- which was something she had no issue with granting them. After all, they served as her knight and personal guard near constantly already. She didn’t want to be selfish by taking up what few moments they had to themselves. So, when an incessant knocking drew her attention away from her work, she had no reason to assume it was them at her doorstep.

With an aggravated sigh, Hornet snapped out a, “Stop,  _ stop _ ! I’ll be right there,” before stepping away from her desk and pushing open the door to reveal her sibling’s much shorter form in front of her. Before she had a chance to even ask them what they wanted, she was bombarded by a slew of projections as they pulled on her cloak.

_ hornethelp? hornetfixhurt sisterfixpainfixshellhelp  _ echoed through her mind on repeat until she hushed them. Shoving aside her irritation, Hornet knelt down to see what was wrong before rearing back in surprise as she caught a glimpse of black flecks dotting the floor behind them.

Taking one of Ghost’s arms in her hand, she found the surface of their shell peeling away- the layers of unusually soft black chitin flaking off and falling to the ground. Likewise, the exterior of their mask was deteriorating as well. Hornet could also see small grooves in the surface near their eyes and horns, likely caused by them trying to scratch off the outer layer.

Her newfound understanding led to a few realizations. The first was that she’d have to make an unscheduled trip to the abyss, while the second was that Ghost was-

“Oh cease your panicking- you aren’t dying, so stop acting like it.” Her sharp reprimand stopped them from fidgeting as she inspected the rest of them, lifting their cloak to see just how far the shedding had progressed. “Ah, as I suspected, you’re just molting. It’s- well, I can’t say its normal, considering that I’ve never seen a vessel mature before. But, I once endured a similar situation in my youth. The fact that it’s happening to you now of all times is a bit strange, though it may have something to do with the kingdom’s stasis. Now that the seals are gone, time moves on in Hallownest once more.” Brushing the pieces of their shell off her cloak, Hornet stood and pulled them over to her bed.

The heavily cushioned monstrosity was a present from some of the survivors of the infection, and upon receiving it, she’d only slept on it once. The surface was too soft and plush for her tastes, but it would be incredibly rude to turn down a well-meaning gift from those who had accepted her rule without question. Now, she could put it to good use at least.

After helping Ghost up onto the fluffy surface, she gave them a look that said  _ stay put _ . Their tired nod assured her that they wouldn’t be running off anytime soon, not while they were feeling so exhausted. Donning her needle and thread, Hornet hurried out of the room. The sooner she finished this task, the better.

\---

It took some time for her to return from her trek despite how calm the abyss had become after the Old Light was dragged down into its depths. She and Ghost’s siblings no longer attacked them, though when either of the two visited, they knew they were never alone. Occasionally, a shade or two would even rise up from the ground to follow them around either out of curiosity or familiarity. This time, Hornet was alone as she filled several flasks with void from the lake- which had also gone still.

Once she was back at the spire with her fragile cargo, Hornet set about emptying the first of the bottles into a crystalline bowl- another unused gift, this time from the remaining miners at the Crystal Peak. As soon as the flask was empty, she proceeded to empty a beaker of soul-infused water into the bowl as well, the infinite blackness of the void swallowing up the light until it couldn’t be seen. With that task complete, Hornet lifted the bowl into the crook of her arm and proceeded to retrieve a spare roll of bandages.

Now that the kingdom’s silk stores were under her control, she saw it pertinent to have the most useful of commodities already prepared just in case they were needed. It was only after soaking the strips of fabric in the strange void-poultice that Hornet was able to apply them to Ghost’s crumbling shell, their apparent discomfort easing the instant the first roll was wrapped around their arm. Hornet took her time in covering them and making sure that there were as few gaps in the wrapping as possible, while also tying a few bandages around their horns and face for good measure. When the majority of their body was coated, she stepped back to admire her handiwork, ignoring how stained her sheets would be afterward.

“There, now is that better?” she asked. Their reply was both a low hum and a projection of  _ yesyesthankyousister lesspain nomoreshellhurt _ that left her feeling some form of pride. “Very good. I shouldn’t have to tell you, but leaving the spire now is out of the question. You’ll have to stay here for the time being until you’re done molting, and even then, once your old shell has finally been shed completely, you can’t go looking for danger until the new one has properly set.”

They sent her a brief wave of annoyance but she brushed it off. Although they were older than her, Ghost still knew very little about how the world- or even how they themselves -worked.

“I’m no expert on this particular matter, but there aren’t any other void beings you can ask about this at the moment. The only good news is that the first time is usually the worst one. Every time after this should be easier. Though, remembering our departed sibling...” Hornet thought back to how huge the Hollow Knight was. The other bug had towered over her before, but even though she’d begun to grow again following the kingdom’s reawakening, she knew that Ghost was likely to reach such a height as well, meaning they’d eventually exceed her.

Shaking her head disdainfully, Hornet gently patted their wrapped up shoulder. “Actually, it’s probably better if we don’t think about that just yet. Do get some rest, Ghost, you’ll need it.”

It wasn’t until they were well asleep that Hornet had time to reflect on how familiar the situation was. It felt like ages ago that she and Ghost were recovering from the fight with the Hollow Knight, but in reality, they’d only stopped the kingdom’s stasis less than half a year ago.

In that time, Hornet had worked to establish herself as a monarch with almost no support. It was only thanks to Ghost- who was almost universally known and loved among those who still lived in the ruins -that she was able to call herself Queen without any dissent. Over the course of their travels throughout Hallownest, it seemed that her sibling had endeared many to themselves either with or without directly knowing.

Meanwhile, she’d spent practically her entire life guarding it from her place in the shadows with nothing to show for it.

Perhaps if Hornet had ever wanted for recognition before, she might’ve cared more about her lack of a reputation. As it was now, though, she had few regrets. At this current moment in time, all her worries were on Ghost and whether they’d finish their first molt unscathed.

\---

Ghost’s molt finally ended after a full week and a half, and as a result, they’d grown just a sliver taller, though their new shell was noticeably tougher than the last. But it was only after four days of constant bandage-changing and Hornet’s refusal to let them so much as take a single step away from the bed- which needed its coverings washed every day or so -they’d finally requested to hear the story behind her own experience with the process.

In retrospect, Hornet probably should’ve known that Ghost’s boredom would win out long before they were done with the whole process, though she did have to give them credit for lasting longer than she’d originally expected. As she read over a few documents from where she stood, she could feel Ghost’s gaze upon her back. The slow, stiff turn of their head was accompanied by the sensation of their own curiosity pressing against the edge of her mind. When she shifted her stance to face them, they watched her expectantly as she set aside her work and climbed up next to them on the bed, folding her legs beneath herself.

“So, I assume you want to know why I’ve been so strict with your treatment so far?” Their resulting projection of  _ yesyestelltell _ had her shaking her head with a combination of exasperation and amusement. “Well, since we’ll be here a while, I might as well change your wrappings while I’m at it.” The ensuing wave of irritation that they sent her way as she left to retrieve a new set of silk bandages barely phased her at all.

Upon her return, Ghost was still stewing in anticipation, and as she began to carefully remove the old bandages from where they were stuck to their still-growing shell, Hornet thought back to some of her earliest memories.

“...After I was delivered to Herrah, the ones who looked after me the most were the Midwife and the Weavers. Although I was a gift to my mother, she was still a Queen at the time, and her ruling over Deepnest took precedence to me. Herrah didn’t become a dreamer right away. None of them did. But the time we were allowed to share was still so little, and I was but a child when she finally went to sleep,” she said, accepting the soft reassurance that Ghost sent her way at the confession. “It wasn’t until several years after our sibling’s imprisonment that the infection began to take root in the weakest of minds first, but up to that point, I was still being raised by the individuals that my mother trusted the most. Despite all her... _ oddities _ , the Midwife did try her best, and the Weavers too made their attempts at bringing me up as one of their own, but in the end,” Hornet let out a soft sigh.

“The King must not have thought it pertinent to warn them, or even inform Herrah of the finer points that went into my creation, for none of them knew how to deal with a creature such as I. Back then, they all considered me to be a spider like them, although I lacked the ability to create my own silk, or the innate knowledge of how to spin a fine web from thread. They all assumed those skills would come to me with time.” As she spoke, her voice grew wistful.

Once half of Ghost’s wrappings were changed, she switched to their other side and began to repeat the process, giving her feelings a moment to subside. “You know, once, I possessed twice as many arms than I do now.” The sharp jolt of shock that Ghost passed onto her was jarring, but the pulse of confusion and apologetic that followed right after smoothed over the emotional wound like a balm. “Yes, its not something I’ve shared with many. Only those who raised me know of it, and now you as well, I suppose. As a child, I looked more like one of Herrah’s kin than I do now, but that changed upon my first molt. The Wyrm based my growth off of Deepnest’s inhabitants, though I suppose along the way he grew disinterested with the idea of ensuring I wouldn’t be damaged by such an event.” Hornet spat out the words with only the barest hint of true anger lingering at the edges of her voice.

“When I first shed my shell,” she took a fortifying breath and focused on Ghost’s presence for a second to steady herself before continuing, “-I was weak, and confused, and paralyzed. I couldn’t move for a full two days, and by the time the Weavers found me, the damage had already been done. A real spider may have been able to regrow what was lost after such an ordeal. I was not so lucky.” Even now she could remember the pain she’d been in upon waking, the sensation of feeling like a stranger in her own body while her caretakers spoke in low tones about how their Queen’s offspring would never truly be one of them. Though in the end, such a realization was one of the things she’d needed to experience in order to become who she was now.

Tying off the last knot on Ghost’s bandages, Hornet leaned back onto the surface of the bed and let them rest their head against her shoulder. “I know it may seem like I’m smothering you, but even though its impossible for what happened to me to happen to you, I still want to make sure-” Her words stopped as Ghost’s newly wrapped hand sought out her own before catching it in a tight grip. Watching them for a moment, Hornet let out a derisive sound which lacked any real edge to it.

“Worry not, sibling mine. I’ve well moved past such things by now. I am a child of Herrah the Beast, and of Deepnest, but I was never a spider. Much like how you are a child of Wyrm and Root, grown past your original purpose to become something better. Something greater that our sire never imagined possible in either of us,” she said softly, her voice tinged with longing.

When Ghost pulled her back towards the center of the bed, Hornet ignored her displeasure of having to lie atop such a soft surface, and permitted herself- just this once -to sleep on the bed, her sibling still clutching her hand.   
  


**Author's Note:**

> After Ghost stops needing Hornet's help when they molt (and they're finally taller than she is), they stick around when it happens to her because hey, not being able to move for several days sucks and its nice when ur sibling brings u snacks so ur not starving when you can finally sit up again.
> 
> tho we all know that hornet would totally gut them if they ever managed to communicate that she has her moments of weakness


End file.
